Mission 

Innovative anti-cancer measures for the benefit of the people 

 

Profile

The Department of Medical Oncology at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (FUSCC), initially founded as a working group for chemotherapy in 1958, was the first of its kind to be established in China in 1965. The Department has since transformed into its present status with a reputation for excellence in treatment, education, and research, pioneering multidisplinary programs for optimal care. The Department has maintained its leading position in this highly specialized field of cancer based on the foundation laid by the collective leadership and efforts of several generations for the past five decades. Great progress has been achieved especially within the recent five years with notable expansion of staff, space, and academic advancement, demonstrating an unprecedented development momentum in the aspects towards reaching the clinical, educational and research goals.

 

Patient Care

The Department, constituted of five disease-specific therapeutic teams, with 241 infusions chairs and 155 beds, has treated 65,000 outpatients in 2008 and provided care for 1,500 hospitalizations, ranking first in the number of outpatients seen annually nationwide. Distribution of inpatients based on specific disease among the 4 wards includes the following:

 

 

Cooperation with several hospitals including the Shanghai Xuhui District Central Hospital, Zhejiang Wenling Second People's Hospital, Shanghai No. 5 Hospital to set up joint wards or partnerships to increase the availability of about 300 beds has partially resolved the challenges of the overwhelming number of hospitalization for cancer patients within the region. The cooperation also includes regular dispatch of attending physicians to these hospitals, to provide educational programs including diagnosis and treatment for the local staffs, with the aim to ensure more cancer patients receive standard of care.

 

The importance of good quality care could not be overemphasized over the years of evolving, thus rules and regulations for each process during care delivery have been set up to ensure patients receive satisfactory optimal care. The Shanghai Center for Quality Control of Cancer Chemotherapy, established in 2006 by the Shanghai Municipal Public Health Bureau, has been affiliated to the Department of Medical Oncology, reflecting the recognition of the efforts and achievements of all medical personnel of the Department over the years.

 

Staff and Medical Personnel

The sustainability development of the Department stems from the well-trained and highly-specialized workforce. There are currently about 40 physicians and 140 nurses working within the Department, the majority holding professional or academic titles, and more than a third of the physicians have had overseas experiences as exchange scholars.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Department also undertakes training responsibilities, achieving remarkable success for the post-graduates, medical observers, and fellows. There are currently 2 PhD students, 10 master students in the faculty. There are about 50 physicians from nationwide each year to receive specialized education and training in cancer treatment.

 

Clinical Research and Academic Achievement

FUSCC has carried out a large number of clinical trials being one of the first clinical trial units recognized by the SFDA. The majority new drug investigative trials have been conducted within the Department of Medical Oncology, making tremendous contributions in the development of new drugs in China.

 

The Department has taken a leading role during the application for re-evaluation by Shanghai Municipal Public Health and State Food and Drug Administration in 2005 when the Head of Department, Dr Jin Li, was appointed the Director of Clinical trial Unit to fulfill the task of restructuring and upgrading the clinical trial supervision process and facilities in our institute to meet the Shanghai Municipal Public Health and State Food and Drug Administration requirement to become a recognized Clinical Trial Unit to perform Phase I, II, III cancer clinical trials. A Clinical Phase I Study Unit with 30 beds and a Pharmacokinetics Laboratory has been also been established within the Department.

 

The Department presently undertakes approximately 30 clinical studies annually, of which 50% are investigator-initiated projects. 80% of the staff has been GCP-trained with the ultimate emphasis on patient safety and data quality throughout the trial process. 

 

50 scientific publications have been published in peer-reviewed journals in the last 5 years. The Department has been awarded research grants for 20 projects totaled 5 million RMB, including one program from the National Eleventh 5-year Key Scientific Research Grants: Significant National New Drug Innovation Specialized Program of Clinical Evaluation of New Drug Platform.